Global-warming models need another look

[caption id="attachment_70381" align="alignright" width="300"] The GFDL World Temperature Change, on the Planetary Research Station at The Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana.[/caption]

DANA POINT, Larry Hamlin: The op-ed, “Debate dodged energy, climate-change link” [Nov. 5], offers the usual overstatement claiming that “science” has clearly linked growing CO2 emissions to increasing global temperatures and then says this situation is a perilous long-term challenge. The only increases in global temperatures related to climbing CO2 emissions that can be portrayed as “of concern” are those projected by unproven and scientifically unvalidated climate models. These same models that failed to project the pause in global temperature increases. Temperatures have not increased in 16 years, according to the latest empirical data from the United Kingdom's Hadley Center and Climate Research Unit.

The op-ed notes the need to consider global energy use when addressing energy-price impacts in the U.S., which significantly influences how much energy independence here can help in stabilizing our energy costs.

This same global context, however, is unaddressed when it comes to CO2 emissions. The developing nations of the world, primarily China and India, completely control increases in global CO2 emissions. U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts show that, by 2035, the world's developing nations will increase global CO2 by more than twice the entire present and declining CO2 emissions level of the U.S.

Given these global temperature and emission realities there is absolutely no justification for U.S. politicians forcing costly and regulatory burdening government programs on our citizens to try and further reduce our already-falling CO2 emissions.

throw its global-warming hoax into the mix of our actual problems? With real issues such as the actual unemployment rate hovering at around 17 percent, a commander-in-chief who left his people in Benghazi to die, companies moving overseas to escape Draconian regulation and soaring business taxes there are always those with their petty, little gripes who want to have their own adverse impacts on our lives.

How about finding solutions to real problems, Mr. Crane, such as union-caused illiteracy or government-caused diminished rights or gun control-caused soaring crime rates? Sorry, sir, these views have already caused enough problems for working and nonworking Americans.

Please stop doing us favors.

Another ingredient to the megastorm brew

NEWPORT BEACH, Mark Tabbert, Founding member, Citizens Climate Lobby O.C.: New Jersey may never be the same due in part to numerous global warming factors that have contributed to the way Hurricane Sandy unfolded. Warmer ocean temperatures in the Atlantic off Northeast U.S. allowed Sandy to develop late in the season and maintain its strength further north. A warmer Arctic, with record-setting loss of sea ice, made the jet stream “wavier,” creating deep troughs that allow storm systems like Sandy to get “stuck.”

Warmer ocean temperatures extend the hurricane season and “wavier” jet streams bring winter storms earlier, increasing the chances that tropical and winter storms could merge into the mega-storm that Sandy became.

Sandy is the latest in a series of extreme-weather events seen in the U.S. this year – heat waves, wildfires, drought and floods. This ever-intensifying weather will continue if we don't reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are heating up the Earth. Munich Reinsurance Co., a company that reinsures insurance companies, issued a report weeks ago, saying the footprint of climate change is evident in the rise of natural disasters in North America.

We can speed the transition away from coal, oil and gas with a fee on carbon, returning revenue to the public to offset higher energy costs.

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